Holy Matrimony~

[Lerend]

What the heck is a "Modern MMO?"

That would be an MMO designed sometime in the current "generation" of games instead of something, say, created in the mid 90's when MUDs were still popular and games like Nexus:TK and UO were pioneering a brave new world with a type of game that nobody had conceived before, and names like Richard Bartle and Richard Garriott were still prominent designers.

[Denmo]

That would be an MMO designed sometime in the current "generation" of games instead of something, say, created in the mid 90's when MUDs were still popular and games like Nexus:TK and UO were pioneering a brave new world with a type of game that nobody had conceived before, and names like Richard Bartle and Richard Garriott were still prominent designers.

Ok. What does that even have to do with an in-game marriage system? If people want it enough, it will happen.

[Lerend]

Ok. What does that even have to do with an in-game marriage system? If people want it enough, it will happen.

I explained that in my original post. The player demographic is entirely different than it was 17 years ago. Back then, games had one, *maybe* two servers, and having 200 players online at once was a groundbreaking milestone. Content was not easy, and accomplishments were not handed out like candy, rerolling a new character was a huge issue you avoided unless it was absolutely necessary, most players never even hit the level cap in many of these games and that was totally ok. You were constantly surrounded by the same people, and as such your social interactions and reputation held considerably more weight than they do in modern MMOs. There was no deleting your character and recovering your progress in a weeks worth of dungeon runs, nor could you spend $15 to server transfer to one of 400 other servers. People also roleplayed and engaged each other outside of the base number crunch of the game.

As such, two characters getting married had important social connotations, kind of like how it does in real life. You were much more invested in your character, so what happened to it, and how people though of you was considerably more important. It was a different time, and it worked under the context, but that same level of intimate attachment with your character and the players around you just aren't the same today with how the genre has changed.

[Platinumstorm]

Is there even a need for a marriage system?

[Elexia]

Honestly, I dont see the point of a marriage system in a modern MMO. They made sense back in the early days when people actually roleplayed, games had ONE server, and your reputation and social interactions actually mattered.

These days no one would do it unless there was some in-game tangible benefit, effect, or bonus, in which case it would become mandatory in competitive play and lose whatever the original intention of the system was. Yeah, some people would still use it just to enjoy it, but that number is extremely small compared to the development time and costs involved in implementing the system.

I hate to agree, but yeah MMO gamers these days don't know the beauty of what a real MMORPG was like. Even RP aside, marriage systems was generally utilized by couples who ended up as RL couples or RL couples who wanted to extend their marriage to the virtual world, which I can guarantee you'll have a group of people see this as "pathetic" in this day and age.

[Zelkelion]

Maybe the entire concept of matrimony doesn't exist in Eorzea to begin with.

[Rokien]

I would do it without any type of bonus, I wont be getting married in real life so why not a game for kicks and giggles!~

[Stanislaw]

If the Valentine event was any indication... *hint hint*

[Urthdigger]

Yes please, I want to marry a yummy catboy.

[Zantetsuken]

If players want to act like they are married, fine, but theres no point to adding any official in-game recognition of it.

FFXI marriages added enough drama to that game. The last thing I want to see is this game become a fighting ground over social issues.

Its a game people, lets keep the RL drama and hot-button issues out of it.


Marriage in any form: Do. not. want.